Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-01-20


CHAPTER xXIIL-CoSr1SuEn.
Often after shat he waited for Celeste
and brought her home, and almost
every evening they went to drive: and
as he sat opposite Celeste and Mrs.
Brayton IN their comfortable carriage
with the urbane coIored coachman
handling the reir1s with much dignity I'D
on the front seat, and they rolled away
along the winding river roads. about
the green hills, out into the glorious
country, or perhaps aIighted at Spring
Grove Cemetery. that four hundred
acres OF green velvet sparkling with
white spires of marble and cool with
royal OAKS. or again got down in Eden
Park and wandered about the lakes
andaamong the trees. he feat indeed
that Life was not i heavy thing. Then
there were evenings when Celeste
sang.and his sen sitive spirit tire rnbied
with pleasure upon her crystal voice:
and twice he helped to row a party up
the flushed river when the sun was 90
ing down, AMI .hey foated back to
the city through the holv moonlight.
singing as they went Then he was
content TO be silent. letting his oars fol-
low through the pearl-dented bubbling
waters. while he listened to her voice,
as II went through the others out over
the glinting reach. 20 him not unlike a
clear star-Tiame. or some sounding
and ineffaole perfume
Then there were nights at the plav:
and one when 4 great concert came
i 10
from earth - the smooth thunder OF
two hundred perfect voices rolled up
through the mighty. mellow hollow Of
the#buidIng- and again his heart was
filed when figure in white satin.
glimmering slip OF womanhOod. came
into the flare Of light. and sang SUCH Il
carol Of gladness as he thought he had
never heard before. It was Celeste;
and when she had finished and there
burst out tempest Of clapping hands
and living flowers. and the white tig-
ure imped away out of the wreathing
light. his ewes were filed with tears.
and he saw only the little girl with
cups Of water in her hands falling
among the diving on a field Of blood.
and felt again the w0unding ball tia
forever sverved her from 4 public life
of song But when 4 few moments later
all over. and he caught and for
an instant held her trem bling
hands and flashed his pride and
admiration into her upturned. radiant
face. a great gIadness swept over him.
speeehIeSs gratitude, uuquestioned,
unanaIvZcd. that she was physically
imperfect, elsC they might have
never met: she might have never
been-ah. whaE3 What was this? this
L -, ! !.
blood2 this shat had ff0ated there for
years. and ut last had conferred like
star-mist II his brain. making arth md
life seem beautiful? Yet even now it
was rather guinness felt than d prin-
ciple perceived: Il pure and gentle &C.
stacy. through which his thoughts. as
they rode homeward. ran gl0wingly.
and IN winch he led her from the car
rage to herdOor-with something Like
religious reverence, min gled with an
unspeakable longing TO kiss her lifted
face as she leaned upon his arm weary
IN BODY but with glowing eyes.
That night when he laid down to
sleep in the beautiful chamber and his
eyes were closed and soft darkness be-
gan to fold him in. his whole being
seemed sweet. and he saw all recent
things distinctly for Il time Is in i
mighty mirror. with those old hard
DAYS far back in the glass, filming, ana
fiekering. and passing in to, a dream,
Flen-she lay began to break
again,ssso him, drifting out from the
dark sea Of sleep. the first glim-
merings of the shore of conscious
ness seemed filed with music.
and he awoke 20 hear Celeste carOlinr
in the little conservatory below. All.
II,
he thought. and sDrang up and looked
out and saw the sun. red Is Il thrOb-
bling heart. flaming MP through the
tree tops far TO the east. with al. the
intervening sweep of river hills and
smoking hoGsetops, sown with little
tires.
1T has rained glow-w orrns." he said
to himself with smile. noting that i
little shower had fallen IN the night.
against whose pendant drops the tiny
arrows rom the rising sun struck and
smote ont ami ion spazk&
1t was memorable day to John Ear
ling When he came down upon one
OF the .yine-wound verandas Celeste
was watering the flowers that ran in
something aiike rainbows about tine
curving paths. The air was very
sweet and lucent. and unperceived he
stood leaning against-one OF the iuted
porch-posts a moment watching her as
She bent above the flowers. She was
humming song TO herself, so low and
sofrit bent with and seemed almost
part off, the murmurous noise of bees
PLYING since dawn their sugary traffic
there Like the bees. too. she was pry-
ing into the flowers; parting the petals
with delicate touch Is she gazed into
them with ewes that made the fairest
one in al the beds seem tame.
John Earnings eyes. too. grew lu-
minous. and a smile came into his face
as he saw her give a little start when
she stirred half-opeu bloom and Il bee
befioured with pollen came scramb-
linz out. and. starting TO fly away, fell
in the grass. dragged down with hon
ev and its tnigh-borue gold. Then
his smile grew very tender, indeed
when she stopped down. and. running
her fingers slowly inso the grass IN
der the struggling bee. lifted her hand
ND with the little workman buZZing in
the pink hollow of her outspread palm
and held it out before her. Hurry!
you little midget" she laughed, ''hur-
ryt YOU tickle.' But the bee Soberly
untangled his yellow legs and gave his
aoury head q couple OF rubbing
pulls. that seemed likely to remove it
from his neck. before he ventured into
the air; then he sprang out on his
gauzy sails. and making arather doubt
full VOYAGE. landed in a flower at the
foot of the walk
Bravo, my little honeymann cried